Chicago Bulls
1 Player who has been a disaster: Matas Buzelis
I don't want to pile on the struggling 2024 NBA Draft class but there's a chance it ends up being one of the worst in recent history. While most of the criticism is likely going to fall on the players selected in the top 5, there were a few big names that fell late in the lottery. One of those players was Matas Buzelis. As one of the bigger names from this year's draft class, there was some expectation on his shoulders as he prepared for his rookie season with the Chicago Bulls. Through the first few weeks, his start has been anything but ideal.
Buzelis hasn't been all that bad, nor has he been the worst player selected in the lottery, but he's also left much to be desired in the way of a potential cornerstone building block for the franchise. While Buzelis has shown some potential on the defensive end of the floor, he's been a disaster offensively. Through the first few weeks of the season, Buzelis is averaging just three points and two rebounds per game on 29 percent shooting from the field and 27 percent shooting from 3-point range. Oh, and he's also averaging less than 10 minutes per contest.
Cleveland Cavaliers
1 Player who has been a disaster: Max Strus (health)
With how excellent of a start the Cleveland Cavaliers have gotten off to, it's almost impossible to find a player who has been a disaster for the team to start the year. However, because of an early-season injury, there's a cop-out answer for the Cavs. And it's the fact that Max Strus has yet to make his regular-season debut for Cleveland this year. After sustaining an injury in the pre-season, Strus is still listed out for at least the next three weeks. The Cavs have bought time with their strong start but you'd have to imagine they're going to need Strus at some point this year.
And it's not ideal that Strus has missed the first few weeks of the season. When he is ready to return, there could be some concern with integrating him back into the lineup. In fact, if the Cavs continue to play at this high level, the argument could be made that he may be slowly brought back into the fold for the team. There is a scenario that plays out in which Strus isn't a starter at all this season for Cleveland.